Internet users interpret Elon Musk salute at inauguration party as Nazi gesture

Elon Musk’s salute astatine a Monday inauguration party for President Trump was interpreted by galore observers online arsenic a “Heil Hitler” gesture.

Musk, 53, spoke to a assemblage of Trump supporters astatine Capital One Arena successful Washington, D.C., aft Trump was sworn successful astatine the U.S. Capitol. While thanking the supporters, Musk enactment his close manus implicit his heart, past extended his limb retired with his thenar down. He past turned astir and repeated the gesture.

“It’s time 1 and Elon Musk is already doing the Sieg Heil,” 1 idiosyncratic wrote connected X, the societal media level owned by Musk.

Many others had the aforesaid reaction, including a German writer who observed: “Elon Musk does what looks similar a Hitler salute aft talking of triumph astatine Trump inauguration, thanking supporters for assuring ‘the aboriginal of civilisation.’”

Elon Musk does what looks similar a Hitler salute aft talking of triumph astatine Trump inauguration, thanking supporters for assuring "the aboriginal of civilisation" pic.twitter.com/xp0kmJ5dFQ

— James Jackson (@derJamesJackson) January 20, 2025

“Why isn’t Elon Musk doing 2 Nazi salutes astatine Trump’s inauguration a pb communicative today?” different asked.

But not everyone saw it that way. Frequent Musk professional Batya Ungar-Sargon said his question looked much like “a antheral with Aspergers exuberantly throwing his bosom to the crowd. We don’t request to invent outrage.”

Even immoderate far-right connection boards were confounded by Musk’s salute, arsenic 1 asked “What are the governmental implications of Elon Musk doing a Roman Nazi salute close aft Trump gets inaugurated?”

“I emotion to spot it, adjacent though it’s evident that this is conscionable an Asperger’s feline trying to bash an affectional salute and f–king it up retired of awkward clumsiness,” 1 far-right poster connected 4chan wrote.

Another idiosyncratic described Musk’s motion arsenic “the astir spastic [Sieg Heil] successful history.”

Trump and Musk became adjacent allies during the 2024 statesmanlike campaign, with Musk donating hundreds of millions of dollars to Trump’s effort and campaigning for him crossed the country. In his ain code Monday, Trump thanked Musk for his enactment and included a funny remark astir the billionaire’s enactment successful Pennsylvania.

“He knows those computers amended than anybody. All those computers, those ballot counting computers, and we ended up winning Pennsylvania, similar successful a landslide truthful it was beauteous good,” Trump said.

Originally Published: January 20, 2025 astatine 5:28 PM EST